Israeli Base In Oman
Angers Pakistan

Thursday, December 15, 2005
NewsInsight

10 December 2005--Oman has agreed to give landing rights and parking facilities to Israeli warplanes, despite Pakistan's strenuous objections.

Soon after the A.Q. Khan proliferation scandal broke out, Pakistan accused Israel of snapping its Kahuta nuclear facilities with SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft, and it fears more of the same, but from a closer location, Oman.

Pakistan, diplomatic sources said, has threatened offensive deployment in its territorial waters facing the Gulf of Oman, but neither Oman nor Israel are stepping back, and Pakistan-Israel relations, which had warmed suddenly, show going cold again.

Diplomatic sources said that Israel is likely to spy on Iran and Pakistan's nuclear programmes, and the Oman base will facilitate cutting down its earlier hazardous nighttime, long-distance reconnaissance flights.

Israel will pay and use the Oman facility.

courtesy of:
http://newsinsight.net/nati2.asp?recno=3576